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  TIME WITH GOD
  by Andrew Bonar
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Summary: True power in preaching comes from a deep fellowship with God
and a willingness to seek His love and blessing.

Topics: "Fellowship With God", "Joy in the Spirit"
Scripture References: Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 30:5, Isaiah 61:3, John 15:11, Romans 15:13, Galatians 5:22, Philippians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, James 1:2-3

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DESCRIPTION
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Andrew Bonar emphasizes the significance of spending time with God to
cultivate joy, which is a fruit of the Spirit. He reflects on his own
weariness and the lack of prayer that hinders his ability to preach with
power. Bonar stresses that true joy comes from fellowship with God, and
that even in times of sorrow, experiencing God's love can uplift the
spirit. He acknowledges the dual role of being an intercessor and a
preacher, highlighting the importance of prayer in ministry.

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CONTENT
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"The fruit of the Spirit is. . .joy. . ." (Gal. 5:22).

Preached with little freedom. Weariness of body is against me; but still
more want of much prayer through the previous week. God will not let me
preach with power when I am not much with Him. More than ever do I feel
that I should be as much an intercessor as a preacher of the word. Also
I have been taught that joy in the Spirit is the frame in which God
blesses us to others. Joy arises from fellowship with Him--I find that
whatever sorrow or humiliation of spirit presses on us, that should give
way in some measure to a fresh taste of God's love when going forth to
preach.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/andrew-bonar/time-with-god/
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